By Rena Dictor LeBlanc

You'll never make it!

Has anyone ever told you that?

Some people will allow obstacles to stop them from accomplishing what they really want in life. Others doggedly will push forward in the face of even the most daunting adversity and they triumph.

Like all earthlings, I've been jousting with obstacles all my life. In my years as a newspaper reporter, columnist, freelance journalist, and author my specialty has been writing stories about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. I've interviewed men, women and even teenagers who succeeded despite all the odds against them.

It might surprise you to know about some of the famous people who were told they were not going to overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve success.

Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds

Actors Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds were fired after co-starring in the "Riverboat" television series.

Burt, recalled, "They said I had no talent and Clint's Adam's apple was too big,"

Julio Igelsias

International singing star Julio Iglesias was discouraged from singing when he was a teenager. When he auditioned for the school choir in Madrid he was turned down. The teacher told him he couldn't carry a tune.

Lucille Ball

Even Lucille Ball got thumbs down when it came to acting. Just one month after she started attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts her mother received a letter from the school saying, "Don't put any more money into this. This girl will never make it."

Bob Hope

Sometimes it's not strangers who try to put the brakes on peoples' dreams. Bob Hope's older brother Ivor once invited the young fledgling comedian to perform at a party for workers at a steel plant where Ivor was an executive. When Bob got on stage the sound system was not working properly. You couldn't hear what he was saying.

"I laid the biggest bomb in history," Bob recalled. Ivor said of his little brother, "He'll never amount to anything."

All of these famous and successful people refused to let obstacles stop them. They just kept trying. And we know the rest of the story.

As for my own obstacles, I never thought I'd overcome the last one. I still was deeply emotionally wounded following the death of my husband. My son-in-law also had died. And my daughter Mia was hospitalized for four months when she was pregnant with twins. At one point the doctor told us, "Don't expect these babies to live." I visited Mia in the hospital almost every day trying to create a cheerful façade.

It was at this time that the Reader's Digest assigned me to write a remarkable true human rights story I had proposed to the magazine. I had no idea how vastly complicated the story would be, with many legal documents from a nine-year court battle.

I was an emotional wreck, and this story was the most difficult one I'd ever tackled. I repeatedly felt too overwhelmed to continue writing. But, each day I just forced myself to push on. This article was especially important to me because of the heroic nature of the people I was writing about. I couldn't let them down.

In 2006 my story "Act Of Justice" was published by the Reader's Digest in eight countries. What's more, I'm now the grandmother of two (might I say beautiful) granddaughters Kerry and Skylar.

Exploring the lives of the valiant people who successfully have detoured around life's roadblocks, and learning from them, has been one of the most remarkable ongoing experiences of my life. This hub is my way of inviting you on the journey.

What obstacles have you overcome?

Previously published on the Eons website

Copyright Rena Dictor LeBlanc 2007

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has again proposed to suspend the "animal adoption mandate," which would reduce the holding period for stray dogs and cats in the state's municipal animal shelters by three days. The savings generated by suspending this mandate is a paltry 0.1 percent of the $24 billion deficit. These funds are the only state dollars that presently go to assisting local governments with the costly problem of pet overpopulation.

This holding period is critical to give pet owners more time to locate lost animals and to give unclaimed animals more time to either be adopted or transferred to an animal rescue group.

TAKE ACTION Please take two minutes to make a brief, polite phone call to Governor Schwarzenegger's office at (916) 445-2841. You can say: "My name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. I know the budget situation is dire, but I'm calling to express my concern with the Governor's proposal to suspend the animal adoption mandate."

After you make your call, send a follow-up message to the governor and your state legislators, and tell your friends and family in California how they can take action too.

We're working the halls of the Capitol hard on this one, but we need your help. As California struggles to come to terms with the current economic downturn, we must ensure that animals do not bear the brunt.

Thank you for all you do for animals.

Sincerely, Mike Markarian Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer The Humane Society of the United States

Do you want to learn how to earn money as a freelance writer or improve your writing skills? Below is a link to my Writing Consulting Service.

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Urge the President to Pardon ALL Turkeys! FARM started a new petition, urging President Obama to pardon all turkeys headed to the White House this holiday season. http://www.change.org/farm_animal_rights_movement/actions/view/urge_president_obama_to_pardon_all_turkeys_this_holiday_season

Take action now to help pass the Captive Primate Safety Act! 

The House of Representatives has already passed the Captive Primate Safety Act, and now it is up to the Senate to get this bill through and on to the president for his signature. Chimpanzees and other primates belong in the wild, not in our backyards, yet this danger persists due to the legal trade in the animals for use as pets. The Captive Primate Safety Act will prohibit interstate commerce in primates as pets.

Please urge your representative to ask the military to end injuring live animals in trauma training

LET ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER KNOW YOU DEMAND THE TRUTH NOW

Torture shouldn't be a political issue. Illegal activity must not be swept under a rug. It goes to the core of our fundamental values as Americans. As he decides how to proceed, Attorney General Holder needs to hear that from you.

Unless we hold the architects of the torture program accountable, we're sending the message that there are no consequences for any administration that wants to break the law. If there are no consequences, there's nothing to stop a future administration from ignoring the rule of law for whatever reason, whenever they want.

Take a moment and send Eric Holder a message. Encourage him to move forward with the appointment of a special prosecutor who will be able to investigate the entire torture program, including those who designed and approved it.